Like other cryptic crosswords, the clues in this puzzle are not straightforward. Unlike most, however, this one focuses mainly on languages and linguistics. For instance, the clue for Zapotec might be “Oto-Manguean variety alters pez coat” (anagram of pez coat), or “Indigenous Mexican language to destroy overtime prior to European Commission” (ZAP + O.T. + E.C.), or “a nice top, a zany blouse conceals retro Oaxacan language” (niCE TOP, A Zany), or many other combinations of puns, anagrams, or typographic quirks. Punctuation in clues is often misleading. Each clue contains both a definition (of sorts) and a more cryptic part, but these may come in any order.

If you can complete (or nearly complete) the crossword and send your solutions to the editors of SpecGram by January 15th, 2016, you could win some SpecGram merch.* The correct solution and winners, if any, will be announced in the February issue of Speculative Grammarian.

The answers to December’s Trickle Down Linguonomics puzzle are: SVO, gloss, lingo, plosive, eggcorn, philology, gibberish, syllabicity, portmanteau, pidginization, reflexiveness. Each of the following puzzlemeisters will receive some highly-coveted SpecGrammerch:

Gretchen McCulloch •
Hannah Roberts •
Olivia Doherty

* Note that SpecGram Anti-Hoarding Guidelines stipulate that puzzle-related prizes cannot be won by anyone who has won a puzzle-related prize in the last three months—though honor, fame, and glory may still be seized on the metaphorical field of puzzle-related battle.